CANCER PROJECT

NAME: DWAYNA-LEE ROPER

GRADE:10TRUTH
TEACHER: MS. WILLIAMS
SUBJECT: H.S. B
 Acknowledgment
I would like to thank God most of all for giving me the wisdom,
knowledge, understanding, and strength to do this project.
Secondly, I would like to thank my teacher for guiding me with
this project as I have learned a lot from completing it.
 What is cancer?
Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and
spread to other parts of the body. 

Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions
of cells. Normally, human cells grow and multiply (through a process
called cell division) to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow
old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.
Sometimes this orderly process breaks down, and abnormal or damaged cells grow
and multiply when they shouldn’t. These cells may form tumors, which are lumps
of tissue.

The body normally eliminates cells with damaged DNA before they turn
cancerous. But the body’s ability to do so goes down as we age. This is part of the
reason why there is a higher risk of cancer later in life.

Each person’s cancer has a unique combination of genetic changes. As cancer

continues to grow, additional changes will occur. Even within the same tumor,
different cells may have different genetic changes.

Benign
Tumors can be cancerous or non-cancerous (benign). Benign tumors do not spread
into, or invade nearby tissues. Benign tumors usually don’t grow back when
removed, whereas cancerous tumors sometimes do. Benign tumors can sometimes
be quite large, however. Some can cause serious symptoms or be life-threatening,
such as benign tumors in the brain.
Malignant

The term malignant is often associated with cancer because many

cancers can be life-threatening if left untreated. 

Characteristics of malignant tumors include:

 Uncontrolled growth
o Malignant tumors have a higher rate of cell growth than the
normal tissues from which the cells came
 Different appearance from the cells from which it came
 Loss of ability to perform the functions of the tissues from which it
came
o The cells either function differently, incompletely, or not at
all
 Invades and damages healthy cells
 Metastasizes (spreads) to other organs of the body
o Malignant tumors invade and destroy areas far from the
original site
Respiratory Cancer

Causes
 The primary reason for lung cancer is cigarette smoking. There are
chances that non-smokers also get lung cancer. Smoke that enters
the lungs causes damage to the lung tissue. The body will try to
repair the damage, but due to the continuous exposure, it will fail
 Another causative agent is a radioactive gas called radon.
Radioactive gas can enter through small holes in the buildings.
Genetic mutation can increase the risk of developing lung cancer.
 The risk factors include:
 Smoking
 Radiation therapy
 Asbestos and other heavy metals like cadmium, selenium, etc., can
also increase the risk.
 Family history of lung cancer

Symptoms
The symptoms include:
 Chest pain that worsens when you breathe deeply, laugh, or a
cough.
 Hoarseness
 A lingering or worsening cough
 Shortness of breath
 Wheezing
 Weakness and fatigue
 Loss of appetite and weight Loss
 Coughing up phlegm or blood
 Muscle Weakness
 Nausea
 Vomiting
  High blood pressure
 High blood sugar
 Confusion
 Seizures
 Coma

Treatment
Treatment involves surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Risk Reduction
You can help lower your risk of lung cancer in the following ways—

 Don’t smoke. Cigarette smoking causes about 80% to 90% of lung cancer

deaths globally. The most important thing you can do to prevent lung cancer is
to not start smoking or to quit if you smoke.

 Avoid second-hand smoke. Smoke from other people’s cigarettes, cigars, or

pipes is called second-hand smoke. Make your home and car smoke-free.

 Be careful at work. Health and safety guidelines in the workplace can help

workers avoid carcinogens—things that can cause cancer.
Cervical Cancer
Causes
 Majority of cervical cancer is caused by a virus called human papillomavirus
 HPV spreads through sexual contact with a person who already posses it
 Not all types of HPV cause cervical cancer. Some of them cause genital
warts, but other types may not cause any infections
 The risk factors include:
 Multiple sexual partners
 Having sex at an early age
 Sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and
HIV/AIDS
 Smoking

Symptoms
The initial stages of cervical cancer show no signs or symptoms. Signs
and side effects of further developed cervical cancer include:
 Vaginal bleeding after intercourse
 Abnormal Vaginal discharge with a foul odor
 Pelvic pain during intercourse

Treatment
Treatment involves surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy

Risk Factors
 Having HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) or another condition that makes it
hard for your body to fight off health problems.
 Smoking.
 Using birth control pills for a long time (five or more years).
 Having given birth to three or more children.
 Having several sexual partners.
Breast Cancer

CAUSES
The exact cause is not known.
The risk factors include:
 Family history
 Hormonal changes
 Age -at more risk after 40 years of age
 Personal history of breast cancer: A cancer in one breast increases the
chances of having cancer in the other breast
 Lifestyle, including excess of alcohol consumption
 Environmental factors, including exposure to radiation
 Obesity and overweight
 Menarche: having periods at younger age and menopause at an older age
 Pregnancy: Becoming pregnant at an older age or never being pregnant

Signs

In many cases, symptoms may go unnoticed until it becomes severe and may
include:
 A lump or mass in the breast that feels different from the surrounding tissue
 Change is the shape, size, or appearance of the breast
 Discharge from the nipple
 Breast rash
 Changes in the skin over the breast, for example, dimpling
 Breast pain
 Inverted or pulling-in of the nipple
 Scaling, peeling, or flaking skin over the breast, particularly the dark area
around the nipple
 Redness and/or pitting of the breast skin, resembling the skin of an orange

Treatment
Treatment is primarily based on the type and stage of cancer.
Most women undergo surgery for breast cancer and many also receive
additional treatment after surgery, such as chemotherapy, hormone
therapy, or radiation. Chemotherapy might also be used before surgery
in certain situations.

Risk reduction

Evaluating the risk of breast cancer makes it possible to identify women

with a high risk of developing breast cancer in the future. Adopting a
healthier lifestyle, involving diet and exercise, is one way of reducing
this risk-but there are other, non-modifiable risk factors, such as family
history, genetics, and diagnosis of premalignant lesions. In this high-risk
population, the tracking must be rigorous and involve the participation
of the patient herself, earlier and more frequent clinical assessment, and
the use of imaging screening. Agents such as tamoxifen, raloxifene, and
aromatase inhibitors may be used in chemoprevention and may reduce
the risk substantially.
Ovarian Cancer
Causes
 The cause is unknown, but certain factors increase the risk of developing
the cancer.
 The risk factors include:
 Family history
 Genetic mutation
 Age: Older women are at higher risk
 Being on hormone therapy for long duration
 Early start of menarche or periods
 Delayed menopause
 Never getting pregnant

Symptoms
Early stages of cancer are mostly symptomless but symptoms are noted
during the advanced stages and may include:
 Abdominal enlargement or swelling
 Abdominal fullness and pain
 Pain in the lower abdomen
 Feeling full after eating very little
 Tiredness
 Changes in bowel or bladder habits
 Clothes not fitting well
 Swelling of legs
 Shortness of breath
 Bleeding from the vagina
 Abnormal menstrual cycles
 Weight loss or gain
 Unexplained back pain

Treatment
Treatment involves surgery followed by chemotherapy, or in combination.
Risk reduction

As with breast cancer risk, breastfeeding may reduce your risk of

developing ovarian cancer. Breastfeeding often inhibits ovulation, which
reduces your exposure to estrogen and abnormal cells that could lead to
cancer, according to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer
Center

Uterine Cancer
Causes
 The causes of uterine cancer are not known.
 It results most likely from a genetic mutation in cells of the uterus or womb,
which turns healthy normal cells into abnormal cells
 These abnormal cells grow and multiply uncontrollably forming a mass
(tumor)
 Cancer cells metastasize to other body parts
 Factors that increase the risk for uterine cancer are:
 Early age menstruation
 Obesity
 Women who have never been pregnant have a higher risk than those who
have been pregnant before.
 Women taking tamoxifen

Symptoms
 Vaginal bleeding after menopause
 Bleeding between periods
 Pain in the pelvis
 Pain during sexual intercourse
 Abnormal, heavy or irregular menstruation
 Abnormal Vaginal bleeding
 Weight loss
 Abnormal, watery or blood-tinged Vaginal discharge
Treatment
Treatment depends on the cancer stage and includes surgery, chemotherapy or
radiation. Early detection is curable.

Risk reduction
Research has shown that certain factors can lower the risk of uterine cancer:

 Taking birth control pills. Birth control pills have a combination of

estrogen and progesterone that are taken cyclically to produce a
monthly menstrual period. This reduces the risk of an overgrowth of
the uterine lining, especially when taken over a long period of time.
 Using a progestin-secreting intrauterine device (IUD), which is a form
of birth control.
 Considering the risk of uterine cancer before starting HRT, especially
estrogen replacement therapy alone, which is associated with an
increased risk. Using a combination of estrogen and progesterone for
HRT may help lower risk. However, combined HRT is associated
with breast cancer risk.
 Maintaining a healthy weight, ideally a body mass index (BMI) less
than 25.
 If you have diabetes, careful disease management, such as regularly
monitoring blood glucose levels, can help lower your risk.

Colon Cancer
  The exact cause of colon cancer is not known. The possible causes
include:
 It occurs when healthy cells develop errors in their DNA
 When the cells’ genetic components are mutated, they divide
abnormally and accumulate in the colon to form a tumor
 With time, the abnormal cells can invade the adjacent tissues and
migrate to other organs (metastasis)
 Inherited gene mutations increase the risk of developing colon
cancer
 Inherited colon cancer syndromes include familial adenomatous
polyposis (FAP) and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer
(HNPCC). These syndromes are detected through genetic testing
 The risk factors include:
 African-Americans are at high risk
 Chronic inflammatory diseases
 High-fat low-fiber diet
 Alcoholism
 Smoking
 Advanced age

Symptoms
Many people have no symptoms until the later stages of cancer
The symptoms include:
 Diarrhea
 Constipation
 Blood in stool
 Fatigue
 Unexplained weight loss
 Abdominal pain
 Bloating

Treatment
Treatment involves surgery and chemotherapy.

Risk reduction
 Colorectalcancer screening can find precancerous polyps so they can be
removed before they turn into cancer. In this way, colorectal cancer is
prevented.
Research is underway to find out if changes to your diet can reduce
your colorectal cancer risk. Medical experts often recommend a diet low
in animal fats and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to reduce
the risk of other chronic diseases, such as coronary artery disease and
diabetes. This diet also may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.

Prostate Cancer
Causes
A prostate cell becomes cancerous due to a change in its gene. The exact
cause for this change is unknown. The following are risk factors:
 Advanced age
 African Americans are at higher risk
 Family history
 Obesity

Symptoms
Early-stage prostate cancer may not cause any signs or symptoms. Symptoms
commonly noted during the advanced stage include:
 Trouble urinating
 Frequent urination
 Decreased force of urination
 Difficulty starting or stopping the urine stream
 Blood in semen
  Painor discomfort in the pelvic area
 Bone Pain

Treatment
Treatments include chemotherapy, medications to stop hormone activity, radiation
therapy, and surgery. These can be used alone or in combinations to treat cancer.

Risk Reduction
But you may reduce your risk of prostate cancer by making
healthy choices, such as exercising and eating a healthy diet.